New Potter film opens in Cape

The latest installment of the Harry Potter movie series opened in Cape Girardeau to excited fans and large crowds Wednesday.

"I'm a huge fan, I love Harry Potter pretty much over all," said Daniele Strahan. She doesn't read the books but wouldn't miss a movie. "I've seen them all and own the movies, but this is my first time watching it in the theater," she said. "This one looks awesome from the previews. I know they get better every time."

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is based on the fifth book in J.K. Rowling's series about the young magician.

In the movie, Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of the government of the magical world and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts, the school he attends. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, he finds depth and strength in his friends, boundless loyalty and sacrifice.

According to theater management, more than 500 people attended a midnight Tuesday premiere at Cape West 14 Cine, and an additional 200 Potter fans were on hand for the 7 p.m. Wednesday showing. Attendance was steady for the film throughout the day.

Many fans like Nikki Perry have been anxiously awaiting the fifth Harry Potter movie for a year or longer. "This will be the first time I've been to a Harry Potter movie without a bunch of 6-year-olds surrounding me," Perry said. "I've been to every one on opening day now, although I was pregnant for 'Sorcerer's Stone' and 'Chamber of Secrets.' I actually thought I might go into labor during 'Chamber of Secrets' because I got so excited and didn't want to leave."

According to movietickets.com, "The Order of the Phoenix" has already sold more advance tickets than "Spider-Man 3," each of the first three movies in the Harry Potter series, "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones." The movie ticket sales Web site expects the latest Harry Potter to bring in the largest ever summer sales. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" has exceeded advance sales for the summer's earlier blockbusters, "Transformers" and "Spider-Man 3," and is neck-and-neck with "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

Early reviews of the film were positive and made a case for seeing the film without reading Rowling's books.

"I liked it a lot," Maegan Jensen said. "It did leave some things from the book out, but not too much. You don't have to be a reader of the books to understand or enjoy this movie. It was a really great movie."

"I don't read the books, but I liked it," Seth LaClair said. "It was as good as the previews. The series just keeps getting darker and more adult-oriented, and I think that's a good thing."

The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," is scheduled to be released July 21.

jsamons@semissourian.com

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